THERMAL, Calif. — It was a successful first day of IndyCar “Spring Training” as 623 laps were run without any major incidents around the 17-turn, 3.067-mile road course at The Thermal Club.
Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport was the fastest driver of the day-long session with a fast time of 1:39.371 in the No. 26 Honda.
Christian Lundgaard of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was second quick at 1:39.3767 in the No. 45 followed by 2021 NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou’s fast time of 1:39.3970 in the No. 10 American Legion Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Andretti Autosport’s Romain Grosjean was fourth at 1:39.4826 in the No. 28 DHL Honda at 1:39.4826 followed by two-time and defending NTT IndyCar Series champion Will Power of Team Penske at 1:39.5690.
In the first session, Felix Rosenqvist was the first to bring out the red flag when he spun off course in Turn 2 in the first hour of testing. Helio Castroneves was the next to bring out the red when he was off course in Turn 4.
Rookie driver Augustin Canapino went off course in Turn 8 in the second session for a red flag. Rosenqvist drove off course on the front stretch for his second red flag of the day. Other drivers who had minor incidents included Devlin DeFrancesco in Turn 7, Lundgaard in Turn 3 and rookie Marcus Armstrong, who stopped at Pit Entry seven minutes from the scheduled end of the session.
That brought out the red and checkered flags to end the first day of testing.
“I enjoyed it from start to finish,” Armstrong said. “We were very organized, and we got through our program that we wanted to do. At the beginning everyone waited a lot longer than what I was expecting anyway. I think I was maybe the first one to go out and do a proper run.
“But straight away I felt confident with the car. It’s my second day in an Indy car and I’m still learning the whole car, but this Ganassi car certainly gives me a lot of confidence. The way it moves is very natural if that makes sense. It was enjoyable from start to finish.”
There has been discussion that this circuit located in a gated community for the wealthy could one day host an NTT IndyCar Series event. Armstrong and Callum Ilott are two drivers that think it would be a great venue to host a race.
“I would love to race here,” Armstrong said. “I think it’s awesome. We would have to do a lot of neck training prior to the race because it’s much like a European circuit, quite demanding on the neck, towards the end of the lap anyway. I think it’s cool. It’s a very flowing, banked corners, banked high-speed corners.
“In terms of racing, it could be potentially not a lot of overtaking. You’d have to commit hard maybe in turn one, wherever you want really. You would have to commit hard. It wouldn’t be the easiest place to overtake. As a whole facility and circuit, it’s very enjoyable.”
Ilott, back for his second full season at JUNCOS Racing, gave his assessment of the circuit.
“It sets a standard really of what we want to be doing with this series,” Ilott said. “It’s really, really high level, high tech. As a circuit, yeah, it’s got a little bit different corners. I think the overtaking, we’ll find a way. We’re IndyCar, someone always sends it down the inside. I think if we can extend the straight and get some maybe between turn six and seven some overtaking.
“It’s definitely a great circuit to drive and good fun and a bit different to the normal winter training we get in Florida. So, I like the circuit. I think if we could, it would be good to race here once.”
The fastest driver of the day confirmed that this race course does not replicate any other track on the circuit and was asked if he thought it would put on a competitive race.
“I think it really comes down to tire deg, what people are showing with that,” Herta said. “It will be tough to pass, right? A lot of the good braking zones, you’re coming off high-speed corners, so it will be hard to follow. But you never know. I would say some of the tracks we go to would be terrible for racing, and IndyCar still puts on a great show.
“You never know until it’s tested and proven right or wrong.”
